Brand NFL

Making & Selling America’s Favorite Sport

by Michael Oriard ’70 (University of North Carolina Press)

The Oregon State University professor and former Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman dissects the way professional football has been marketed as entertainment since the 1960s. He argues that the financial behemoth the “product” has become may be endangering the appeal of the game as sport.

In its review, Publisher’s Weekly said this book is “Enlightening and well researched. With his casual humor and refreshing lack of academic-speak, Oriard has fashioned a riveting examination of how a violent sport has become a staggering mainstream American success.”